Mangrove-based carbon market projects: What stakeholders need to address during pre-feasibility assessment

Ewane EB 1 , Selvam PP 2 , AlMealla R 3 , Watt MS 4 , Arachchige PSP 5 , Bomfim B 6 Show all authors , Wan Mohd Jaafar WS 7 , Salehian S 8 , Ali T 9 , Manickam N 10 , Abdullah MM 11 , Westover S 12 , Mohan M 13

Affiliations 

  • 1 Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Geography, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon. Electronic address: basil.ewane@ecoresolve.eco
  • 2 Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA, USA; Green Artificial Intelligence Technology, 328 North Bridge Road, #02-20, Raffles Shopping Arcade, 188719, Singapore. Electronic address: pandiselvamsp@gmail.com
  • 3 Nuwat for Environmental Research & Education, Al Janabiyah 575, Bahrain. Electronic address: reem@nuwat.org
  • 4 Scion, 10 Kyle St, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand. Electronic address: michael.watt@scionresearch.com
  • 5 Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: pavithra.pa@ecoresolve.eco
  • 6 WWF, Brazil. Electronic address: babomfimf@gmail.com
  • 7 Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA, USA; Earth Observation Centre, Institute of Climate Change (IPI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, 43600, Malaysia; Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, 2181 Samuel J. LeFrak Hall, 7251 Preinkert Drive, College Park, MD, USA. Electronic address: wanshafrina@ukm.edu.my
  • 8 Yale School of the Environment, New Haven, CT, USA. Electronic address: soheil@understory.earth
  • 9 Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah (AUS), P.O. Box 26666, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: atarig@aus.edu
  • 10 Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Coastal and Marine Resources Program, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Salmiya, Kuwait. Electronic address: nandan.ocean@gmail.com
  • 11 Geography of Department, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 50, Muscat, Oman; Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA. Electronic address: m.abdullah1@squ.edu.om
  • 12 Global Study Department, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94709, USA. Electronic address: sophie_westover@projectwren.com
  • 13 Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA, USA; Earth Observation Centre, Institute of Climate Change (IPI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, 43600, Malaysia; Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah (AUS), P.O. Box 26666, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Geography, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94709, USA. Electronic address: mid_mohan@berkeley.edu
J Environ Manage, 2025 Feb;374:124074.
PMID: 39818073 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124074

Abstract

Mangrove-based carbon market projects (MbCMP) aim to conserve, protect and restore mangrove habitats in order to generate high quality blue carbon credits via a crediting program, as a contribution to climate change mitigation/adaptation, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services provision and local socio-economic development. The blue carbon credits generated are transferable, verifiable and sold through carbon markets to earn additional income for governments and local communities. The main aim of the paper is to provide important considerations for pre-field planning, that is, how challenges associated with fieldwork, project implementation, and monitoring reporting and verification (MRV) can be addressed with proper pre-field planning. Herein, we present a comprehensive list of some major concerns, which should be addressed by MbCMP developers and other stakeholders prior to embarking on fieldwork and project implementation. Moreover, we propose a methodological protocol and guideline principles for enhancing field data collection, project implementation and MRV planning. This should help address the major concerns that contribute to inaccurate and controversial baselines and project scenarios around MbCMP. By addressing these major concerns and adhering to the proposed methodological protocol and guideline principles during pre-field preparation planning, MbCMP developers and the respective MbCMP stakeholders can effectively improve the accuracy and efficiency of field data collection to estimate robust and reliable baseline and project scenarios. This will go a long way to building public trust, support and engagement in MbCMP to achieve the desired positive ecological, economic and social outcomes.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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